brack

See also: Brack and bråck

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɹæk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch brac (whence Dutch brak). More at brackish.

Noun

brack (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) Salty or brackish water.
   • 1627, Michaell Drayton [i.e., Michael Drayton], “The Moone-calfe”, in The Battaile of Agincourt. […], London: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for VVilliam Lee, […], published 1631, →OCLC:

     The very earth to fill the hungry mawe;
     When they far'd best, they fed on Fearne and brack,

Derived terms

• bracky

 

Etymology 2

Compare Dutch braak.

Noun

brack (plural bracks)

1. An opening caused by the parting of a solid body; a crack or breach.
   • 1624 June 6 (licensing date), John Fletcher, “A VVife for a Moneth”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act I, scene i:

     You may find time out in eternity,
     Deceit and violence in heavenly Justice,
     Life in the grave, and death among the blessed,
     Ere stain or brack in her sweet reputation.

2. A flaw in cloth.
   • 1677, Hannah Woolley, The Compleat Servant-Maid‎^[1], London: T. Passinger, page 164:

     […] You must take care that all the bracks and rents in the Linen be duly mended.

Etymology 3

Shortening.

Noun

brack (countable and uncountable, plural bracks)

1. Barmbrack.
   • 2020 January 6, Joe Murtagh, Colin Barrett, 01:18:44 from the start, in Calm With Horses (film), spoken by Hector (David Wilmott):

     MAIRE MIRKIN (played by Brid Brennan): ”Sit down please the both of you. You’ve intruded right into the middle of our nightcap, young man. I was just about to serve a toddy to Hector and myself. Can I fix you one?”.
     ARM (played by Cosmo Jarvis): A wha…?
     HECTOR: Do, dear, yeah. And, um (clicks tongue) cut us a few wodges of brack while you’re at it.

See also

• brick-a-brack
• brickety-brack

Further reading

• “brack”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Scots

Verb

brack (third-person singular simple present brackin, present participle brackit, simple past brackit, past participle brackit)

1. Doric Scots form of brak (“to break”)

   Mind an da brack aat!

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)